Muro Lucano
| Muro Lucano | |||
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| — Comune — | |||
| Comune di Muro Lucano | |||
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 Muro Lucano
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| Coordinates: 40°45′N 15°29′E / 40.75°N 15.483°E | |||
| Country | Italy | ||
| Region | Basilicata | ||
| Province | Potenza (PZ) | ||
| Frazioni | Capodigiano, Casale San Giuliano, Le Marze, Pontegiacoia, Raitiello | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Gerardo Mariani | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 125 km2 (48 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 600 m (2,000 ft) | ||
| Population (2009[1]) | |||
| • Total | 5,812 | ||
| • Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Muresi | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | 85054 | ||
| Dialing code | 0976 | ||
| Patron saint | St. Gerard Majella | ||
| Saint day | September 2 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Muro Lucano is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata, southern Italy.
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[edit] History
The town is situated on the site of the ancient Numistri, at the foot of the Apennines, the scene of a battle between Hannibal and Marcellus in the second Punic war.
[edit] Main sights
The town has a cathedral; and it was in its castle that Queen Joan of Naples was murdered on the orders of her adopted son Charles III of Naples.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Overview
The town of Muro Lucano is composed of the old town and the surrounding quarters of Cappuccini to the north, and Giardini (meaning gardens) to the south. It is 51 kilometres from Potenza, the chief town of the province. Muro Lucano rises 650 metres above sea level, occupies a surface area of 125.7 square kilometres and in 2005 had a population of approximately 6,000. The population, which was over 10,000 in the 1950s, has been shrinking steadily through the years due to social changes, lack of local work and heavy emigration. There are about 2,200 families with an average of close to 2.7 people per family.
The territory of the municipality lies between 300 and 1450 metres above sea level. The town lies on a slope over the Muro ravine, with picturesque houses built on terraces. The name of the town comes from the medieval wall (in Italian muro) that surrounded the medieval centre.
[edit] Dialect
The town's dialect is called Murese. This dialect is exclusive to the town and is often unintelligible to Italian speakers. It is believed to have originated from the Oscan language.
[edit] Notable people
- Antonio Rosario Mennonna
- Gerard Majella
- Joseph Stella
- Cristian Zaccardo [2]
- Anne Bancroft [3]
- Ron Galella [4]
[edit] Twin towns
Contursi Terme, Italy
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Media related to Muro Lucano at Wikimedia Commons
